The winner of the 2024 ‘Roadwork Site of the Year’ competition is the Hakaniemi sub-project of the Crown Bridges project. According to the panel of judges, the operation of the winning site is complicated by its central location, which sees a great deal of traffic. The grounds for the win were the effort put into temporary traffic arrangements and an excellent attitude, which is visible at the site in the form of situational awareness and the courage to prioritise the safety of city residents. The attitude of the worksite was also the reason why it won the competition last year.
The party responsible for the worksite is the Crown Bridges Alliance, and the project was commissioned by the City of Helsinki.
This year also a separate Real Estate Award
The Real Estate Award was given to the construction site of the Kamppi Health and Wellbeing Centre. The worksite stands out particularly for its visually impressive fences demarcating it at a central city hub. The illustrations adorning the fence were created by Riku Ounaslehto, while the layout was designed by Laila Lehtinen.
The interest of people passing by in the site has been taken into account with peepholes, among other things. The construction site’s information boards provide residents with all the relevant information about the project and are prime examples of clear and effectively placed information boards.
The main contractor of the Kamppi Health and Wellbeing Centre is YIT Housing, and the project was commissioned by the City of Helsinki.
Honourable mentions for good practices
The City also gave honourable mentions to highlight individual successes that the panel of judges encountered at several construction sites. The honourable mentions were given out by the organisations that participated in the panel.
The Mannerheimintie 14 construction site received an award for innovation. The construction site’s ‘waiting pocket’ for heavy vehicles is an innovative logistics solution in a congested, central location. The party responsible for the worksite is Jatke Toimitilat Oy, and the project was commissioned by Sponda. The award was given out by Kiinteistönomistajat ja rakennuttajat Rakli ry.
The Koirasaarentie construction site of the Crown Bridges project received an award for a temporary bus stop solution. The temporary bus stop ‘Lauri Mikonpojan tie’ on Koirasaarentie in Laajasalo has been implemented in an exemplary manner. The surface material and stop shelter of the temporary bus stop increase the safety and comfort of passengers, and accessibility has also been taken into account in the stop arrangements. The party responsible for the worksite is the Crown Bridges Alliance, and the project was commissioned by the City of Helsinki. The award was given out by Helsinki Region Transport (HSL).
The Itäbaana worksite received a green transition award. The construction site has Finland’s only large electric excavator in construction site use, which makes the site more environmentally friendly and reduces noise. The party responsible for the worksite is Tieluiska Oy, and the project was commissioned by the City of Helsinki. The award was given out by Infra Uusimaa ry.
‘Roadwork Site of the Year’ competition organised for the fourth time
The objective of the competition is for operators to come together to develop and share good worksite practices aimed at making sure that constructions site arrangements, signage and temporary passageways are functional from the perspective of street users, for example. The attitude of the construction site also plays a crucial role in the selection of the winner.
“Attitude is a key factor in creating the best and most innovative solutions at worksites. The importance of minimising negative impacts on both the progress of construction and the comfort and safety of city residents is becoming clearer and clearer at many worksites. There is a common desire for improvement, and good practices are shared through the City of Helsinki's worksite guide, for example,” says Technical Director Kari Pudas from the City of Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division.
The ‘Roadwork Site of the Year’ competition involves a panel of expert judges visiting worksites. The panel consists of construction industry professionals (Infra ry) and clients (Kiinteistönomistajat ja rakennuttajat Rakli ry, City of Helsinki, HSY), City actors (HSL and the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce) and accessibility experts (the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired and the Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities). The panel is coordinated by Ramboll.
The winners of the competition were announced at an awards ceremony at the FinnBuild trade fair on 10 October 2024.
